Steering mechanism for self-propelled vehicles.



0. B. HATFIELD. I STEERING MECHANISM FOR SELF PROPELLED VEHICLES.

APPLIGATION FILED APR I24, 1907.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

v iorwey.

' To all whom it may concern: l

-'thefollowing,

UNITED sTArEs PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES B. HATFIELD, or CORTLAND, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HATFIELD MOTOR VEHICLE COMPANY, OF CORTLAND,

NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

STEERING MECHANISM FOR SELF-PBOPELLED VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters ,Patent.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

. Original application filed January 26, 1907, Serial No. 864,308. Dividod and this application filed. April 24, 1907. Serial No. 370,027.

Be it known that 1, CHARLES B. HATFIELD, of Cortland, in the county of Cortland, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steering Mechanism for Self-Propelled Vehicles, of which taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clgar, and

exact description.

This invention relates to certain improve-- ments in' steeringmechanisms for self-propelled'vehicles of the class set forth in m pending applications Nos. 354,308, filed J an.. 26, 1907, and 355,519, filed February 2, 1907, of which this is a divisional application.

. It will be observed that in each of these cases an v ordinary horsevehicle involvingthe use of a.centrally pivoted front steering axle is equipped with a selfpropelling mechanism and that the steering mechanism comprises essentially a circular se ment concentric with the swinging axis 0 the steeringkrxle, and constituting at once a guide and bearing for a flexible steering element having its ends connected to said axle equidistant from and at opposite sides of its axis and intermediate portion engaged with member on the lower end of the'st-eering post.

My main object is to provide a simple, practical and reliable steering mechanism for axles of this. character by establishing a flexible connection between the steering member upon the steering post and points some distance fromand at opposite sidesof the swinging axis of the ax e so as to obtain a comparatively long thereby reduce leverage upon the axle and of the steering the strain upon the parts mechanism.

Another object is to provide the axle with a rigid concentric segment of comparativel long radius and constituting at once a fifth wheel section and guide or bearing for. the flexible. connection between the steering post and axle whereby said connection is maintained ,in proper relation to its actuating v post. Other more specific objects anduses will be brought outln the following description. In the drawings-Figure 1 is a top plan of the front portion of the running gear of a self-propelled vehicle embodying my improved steering mechanism. Fig. 2 is a portions of the front axle, s

held from downward sectional view taken on line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front elevation ofthe central ring and perch. Fig. 4 is a sectional view ta can on line 4@,l, Fi 3. 1 I

l n order to demonstrate the practicability of my invention I'have shown a steering axle 1 as centrally pivoted at 2 to the front cross bar as +3 of a running gear of a vehicle and provided with suitable wheels 4 said running gear being pro vided with one or more reach bars 5. adapted to connect the front cross bar 3 to the rear axle, not shown.

Rigidly secured to the front axle -1 by anysuitable fastening means is a segmental guide or bearing .6 of comparatively large radius and concentric with the swinging axis of the pivot -2- ot' the axle -'1-'-, said guide or bearing -+6 )rojectmg rearwardly from the axle in a su stantially horizontal plane and preferably consists of a semi-circular are or segment of angle iron having a bottom projecting horizontal flange 7-- and an upwardly projecting flange -8- which form an effective guide andbearing for a. flexible steering chain or cable -9-. The opposite ends of this steering chain or cable are secured to the axle -1-- at point equi-distantfrom and at opposite sides of the swinging axis of said axle while its intermediate portion bears upon the p'eriphery of the vertical flange 8- and is .displacement by the horizontal flange -7 upon hich it rests, said steeringchain being of slightly greater length than the periphery of thesegment 6 upon which it bears and preferably passes partially around and is engaged with the teeth of a sprocket wheel 10- on the lower end of a steering post -11''-, the latter passing through suitable openings 12+, in one of thereach bars -5- and asses through a guide sleeve -13- on the ody of the vehicle where it is provided with a hand wheel -14- Within. easy reaching distance of the seat, (not Sl'lOWll.) of the vehicle. In order to, utilize this segment as a. fifth wheel section the'reaeh bar or bars 5 are provided with lower and upper bearings 15 and 16 of metal which engage respectively the lower and upper faces of the segment +6- to hold the latter rock horizontally,

against undue vertical vibration and at the same time to permit said segment to easily between them.

It will be observed that the steering post is located at one side, preferably the right hand side of the longitudinal center of the vehicle and preferably at the rear of the seg-. menu' -6+ and although I have shown its lower end as journaled in one of the reach bars, it is evident that any other suitable support may be provided to retain the steering post and its chain actuating member 10 with its axis in fixed relation to the swinging axis of the axle. It will also be observed that by giving the segment -6- a comparatively long radius and connecting the ends of the steering chain some distance from and at opposite sides of the swinging axis of the axle, the strain upon the king bolt or central pivotal bearing is materially rednced.and at the same time a longer leverage is exerted upon the axle thereby enabling the axle to be rocked upon its axis with greatcrease and with less liability of straining the steering mechanism.

The body and running gear are, of course, movable vertiailly relatively to each other and in order to allow for this movement without causing the cramping or binding of the steering post 1- and sprocket wheel the steering post is slidable vertically through the central opening in the sprocket wheel ---10--- while the sprocket wheel is rock: ble in its hearings to conform to any slight tilting position in which-the steering post may be thrown by suchrclative vertical movement of the body and running gear.

The sprocket wheel -10- is, therefore, feathered upon the steering shaft 11'by providing the latter with lengthwise key ways -20- for receiving eoncavo convex keys --2lin the sprocket wheel whereby said sprocket. wheel is locked to rotate with the shaft and at the same time the shaft is slidable therethrough, said sprocket wheel being journaled between the upper and lower hearings or arms -l5 and --16 of the reach bar -5 to prevent its vertical displacement and the openings -12 through which the steering shaft passes are of slightly greater diameter than that of the shaft to prevent binding of said shaft therein by the relative vertical movement of the body and running gear.

What I claim is:

1. A steering mechanism for self-propelled *i'ehicles in combination with a steering axle,

a segmental guide secured to the axle, said guide constituting a fifth wheel=seetion, a bearing for said segmental guide, achain passed around the guide and connected to the axle, a steering post and means on the steering post for engaging and actuating the chain. e v

2. A steering gear for self-propelled vehicles con'iprising a centrally pivoted axle, a semi-circular segmental guide secured to and projecting rearwardly from the axle concentric with its pivot, a steering post. at the rear of the segment, a. sprocket wheel keyed to but slidable lengthwise upon the steering post, and a chain engaged with said sprocket wheel and extending around and upon the segmental guide and having its ends at tached to the axle. 1

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of April 1907.

CHARLES B. HATFIELD. \Vitnesscs H. E. CHAsn,

C. M. MoCoRMAoK. 

